


Before I Lose Control

by brobeckology, egoanesthesia



Series: Overcome Each Moment [3]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Autistic David Rose, David Rose Deserves Nice Things, David Rose Has ADHD, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sensory Overload
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:34:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28685658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brobeckology/pseuds/brobeckology, https://archiveofourown.org/users/egoanesthesia/pseuds/egoanesthesia
Summary: Patrick comforts David after he has a stressful morning with his family.~~~Each step of David’s nine-step skincare regimen seems to take nine steps of its own today. Open cleanser. Put cleanser on hand. Close cleanser. Put cleanser on face. Rinse face. Pick up towel. Dry face. Hang up towel. Open toner. Fuck. He’s not even done step two, but he’s ready to go back to bed.As David steps out of the bathroom, Alexis' phone chimes, followed by the popping and clicking sound of her keyboard.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Series: Overcome Each Moment [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089056
Comments: 16
Kudos: 99





	Before I Lose Control

**Author's Note:**

> Hi friends!!
> 
> Hope everyone is doing well. 
> 
> Thanks to my best friend for writing this with me <3
> 
> Enjoy!! 
> 
> Work title from This Is For Real by Motion City Soundtrack; series title from Even If It Kills Me by Motion City Soundtrack.

Each step of David’s nine-step skincare regimen seems to take nine steps of its own today. Open cleanser. Put cleanser on hand. Close cleanser. Put cleanser on face. Rinse face. Pick up towel. Dry face. Hang up towel. Open toner. _Fuck._ He’s not even done step two, but he’s ready to go back to bed. 

As David steps out of the bathroom, Alexis' phone chimes, followed by the popping and clicking sound of her keyboard. 

"Alexis?" David says, scratching the back of his neck and flapping his hand in an attempt to rid his body of the grating sound.

She continues typing, her text tone chiming again. 

" _Alexis!"_ he repeats. 

_"_ What, David _?"_ she says without looking up from her phone. 

"Um, can you like, turn your keyboard sounds off?" David says. "It's driving me fucking insane."

"Well, I'm _sorry_ for having a social life, David!" Alexis retorts. 

"Oh my god! I didn't say _stop texting_ , just like, turn the fucking sounds off!"

"Ughhh!!!" Alexis rolls over in her bed to face away from her brother, turning the volume up on her phone. 

David paces the room and fidgets with his rings as he packs his journal and some clothes into his overnight bag.

“Oh my god, David! Stop moving!” Alexis protests. “You’re making me nervous!

“ _I’m_ making _you_ nervous?” 

“John! Please tell me the next appendage to this humble motor lodge is going to be a central heating apparatus with a dehumidifier!” Moira screams from the other room. “My bébés have endured copious degrees of tribulation already!”

" _Oh my god_ ," David huffs, rolling his eyes.

He drops his things onto the bed and knocks on the door to his parents' bedroom. 

"David, uh, shouldn't you be at the store?" Johnny says, opening the door. "You can't expect to build customer loyalty if you're not loyal to your own store."

"Mkay, _first of all_ , it’s _Patrick's_ turn to open the store today, and uh, second of all, if Mom and Alexis weren’t being so… _this_ ," David says, waving his hands around to encompass both rooms, “I would be gone by now.”

"Ugh, don't be so dramatic, David!" Alexis groans. 

"Mom is literally _screaming_ about her _wigs!_ And _you_ with your fucking... _typing sounds!"_

“Oh my god, David, it’s a sound!”

“Okay, can everyone just like, kindly shut up before I actually fucking snap? Thanks so much.” 

“Alright kids, that’s enough.” Johnny says placatingly.

“John, why are the children being so rambunctious and histrionic at this premature forenoon hour?” Moira says. 

“ _We’re_ being dramatic?” David says defensively.

“Well, _you_ kind of are, David,” Alexis rebuttals.

“ _Me?_ I asked you to turn your sound off and you turned it up. How the _fuck_ am _I_ the dramatic one here?”

"Ugh, it’s _just_ a _sound,_ David! _”_

“David, how do you expect to get anything done if the mere ring of a field telephone is causing you to behave in this manner?” Moira says. 

" _Oh, my god!"_ David snaps. “I’m leaving.” 

David gathers his things from the bed and storms out, slamming the door behind him. 

He makes it about ten feet away from the door before hearing a voice calling out.

“What did you do?” Stevie teases. 

“Holy _fuck!_ I get it, okay! Everything is _my_ fault! I’m going to Patrick’s, so like, _all of you_ just… leave me the fuck alone, okay?”

“Shit… are you like… okay?” Stevie asks, shifting her demeanor.

“Just fucking great, can’t you tell?”

“Look, David, I didn’t mean to add to… whatever _that_ was,” Stevie says, gesturing towards the Roses’ rooms.

“Whatever… I’m leaving.” 

~~~

**Patrick:** Hey David, is everything okay? It’s after 10 and I haven’t heard from you. Text me when you see this. Love you <3

**David:** Hi uh, can’t come to the store… having a day so I’ll be at your place. Love you

**Patrick:** Okay, baby. What’s wrong? Are you sick? Do you need me to come home?

**David:** I’m fine... it’s fine. See you after work. Have a good day, honey! 

~~~

By the time David unlocks the door to Patrick’s apartment, he feels as if he is about to explode out of his skin. He steps inside, drops his bag on the floor, and slams the door shut. 

_“Holy fuck!”_ David yells, leaning back against the door. 

He slowly slides down until he’s sitting on the floor, his hands raking through his hair as he tries not to cry. 

_“Fuck!”_ he yells again, slamming his fist into the wall beside him twice. Tears start to fall as the dull pain shoots through his hand. “Fucking _fuck!”_

David takes a few shuddering breaths in an attempt to calm himself down enough to make it to the bed. After a few minutes, he is finally able to push himself off the floor, grab his bag, and make his way over to the bed.

He grabs Patrick’s grey hoodie off the desk chair and zips it on, pulling the hood over his head and the sleeves over his fingers. 

He curls up in the bed, clutching Patrick’s pillow to his chest. He buries his face into the pillow, and takes a deep breath, surrounding himself with Patrick. 

David tries to fall asleep, or at least stay in bed, but this morning’s events won't fucking stop replaying in his mind. 

He sits up and looks around the apartment for something else to try and focus on. 

He realizes that he skipped breakfast this morning, so he takes the leftover pasta from the other night out of the fridge and puts it on the stove to heat it up. 

He makes himself a cup of coffee as he waits for the pasta to reheat.

David puts the pasta on a plate, then sits down at the table to eat. He takes a bite of the pasta, and upon realizing it’s still cold, he throws his fork onto the floor. 

He almost doesn’t hear the door unlock over the clatter of the fork.

Patrick steps into the apartment and looks around. He takes note of the fork on the ground, the messy sheets, and most importantly, David sitting at the table, shoulders tense.

“David, baby, everything okay?” Patrick says, setting his keys and wallet on the counter.

“Fuck… I’m so sorry. I’ll clean this up,” David sniffs, attempting to stand up.

“David, we’ve talked about this, baby, you don’t need to apologize,” Patrick says softly, moving closer to David. 

“No, no. Fuck. I’m making a mess of everything today,” he sobs.

“David, it’s just a fork. We can pick it up.” 

“It’s not just a fucking fork, though, Patrick! It’s _everything_ today! I fucking _breathe_ and suddenly everything is _my_ fault… and everything’s a fucking mess and-” David cuts himself off with a sob as he scrunches his hair. 

“Baby, is it okay if I hug you?” Patrick asks gently, reaching a hand out towards David.

“Please?” David whispers, looking up at Patrick with teary eyes. 

Patrick kneels down beside David and pulls him into a tight hug. David wraps his arms around his fiancé as tight as possible and buries his face into Patrick’s neck as he sobs. 

“I’m sorry… I don’t know what’s wrong today… I just… I like can’t fucking think properly and I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

“Baby, no. No more apologies. Is there anything I can do to help?”

David looks down for a moment, twisting his rings. “Can we lie down for a bit? Please?” he says, looking back up at Patrick. 

“Of course, David. C’mere, baby,” Patrick says softly, pressing a kiss to David’s temple. He slowly pulls away from their embrace and stands up, making sure to set the fork back on the table. 

Patrick gently helps him stand up from the chair, supporting most of David’s weight as they walk over to the bed. 

Patrick helps David sit down on the edge of the bed and places a tender kiss on his forehead before kicking off his shoes and sitting down next to him. David leans his head on Patrick’s shoulder, letting out a shaky breath as his body relaxes against him.

Patrick places another kiss on David’s head, then shifts them both until they’re lying down. He wraps his arms around David, who buries his face into Patrick’s neck.

They lie there together in comfortable silence for a while as Patrick cards his fingers through David’s hair. He gently places a hand on the small of David’s back underneath his sweater. 

“Have you eaten anything today, baby?” Patrick asks tenderly, brushing a strand of hair out of David’s eyes.

David shakes his head. 

“Do you want me to make you something?”

David nods. 

Patrick shifts out of their embrace, earning a tiny sound of protest from David.

“Baby, I have to get up if you want me to make food,” Patrick says softly, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“I don’t wanna stay here alone,” David pouts, making grabby hands at his fiancé.

“Then come with me,” Patrick says, extending a hand to him.

David sighs, but takes his hand and gets up anyway. As soon as he’s standing up, he wraps himself around Patrick like a baby koala.

Patrick laughs softly and makes his way to the kitchen with David clinging to his back. 

Patrick opens the fridge, looking for something quick but filling to make. 

“How about some soup?” he suggests.

“Mhm,” David hums, his chin resting on Patrick’s shoulder. 

“Baby, I can’t move my arms like this. Come sit up here,” Patrick says, patting the edge of the counter. 

Patrick gently guides David onto the counter, then gives him a quick kiss on the lips before putting the soup in a pot. 

Patrick turns the stove on, stirring the soup a few times before moving to stand between David’s legs. He lifts his hand to cup the side of David’s face, tracing his thumb along David’s cheekbone. “Hi, baby,” he says softly.

“Hi,” David replies, swinging his legs as his lips twist into a small smile. 

Patrick leans forward and gently presses his lips to David’s, both of them smiling softly into the kiss. 

A few seconds later, Patrick pulls away to return to the stove. He stirs the soup, then gives David more little kisses, repeating this process until it’s ready.

David slides off the counter, taking Patrick’s hand to stabilize himself, then excuses himself to the bathroom. 

Patrick clears the plate from earlier and puts it in the sink before portioning the soup into two bowls and setting them on the table.

A few minutes later, David returns to the kitchen and sits down at the table. Patrick leans down and presses a gentle kiss to his forehead and fluffs his hair, eliciting a small laugh from David.

They eat their soup in comfortable silence. About halfway through the meal, David wordlessly puts his hand on the table with his palm facing up. Patrick meets his eyes and smiles softly before lacing their fingers together. 

When they’re finished eating, Patrick takes the bowls over to the sink and suggests they move to the couch. 

He sits down first and David sits beside him, snuggling into Patrick’s side and laying his head on his chest. 

Patrick brings his hand up into David’s hair and runs his fingers through it in the way he knows David finds relaxing. 

“Do you wanna talk about anything, baby?” Patrick asks softly after a few minutes. 

“Uh, don’t you uh, need to like, go back to the um, to the store?” David asks, his voice strained.

“Well, that depends.” Patrick says, caressing David’s cheek. “Do you still need me here? Because I’m not going anywhere until I know you’re okay.” 

“I’ll be fine,” David says unconvincingly.

Patrick gives David a soft, but disbelieving look.

“No, really, it’s fine. You can um, you can go back to the store.” 

“David, baby, you don’t have to do this.” Patrick wraps his arms around David tighter and pulls him further into his embrace. 

“Do _what?_ ”

“You don’t have to pretend everything’s fine when it’s _clearly_ not. I really don’t mind staying if that’s what you need.”

“But the store…”

“David, we can survive closing the store for one afternoon. Besides, it won’t be any good for you to be at the store in this state,” Patrick says. He gently uses his finger to tilt David’s face up until their eyes meet. “You’re more important to me than the store, baby.” 

“Patrick, I’m fine… okay, I uh, I will be fine in uh, in a bit.”

“Well, if you really don’t want me to be here, I can leave. But, I think today’s just been a shitty day and I’d like to be here with you, if that’s okay?”

David makes a soft noise of agreement, but otherwise doesn’t respond. 

They sit cuddled up on the couch for a little while longer before Patrick shifts to lie down, bringing David with him. 

A few minutes pass before either one of them speaks again.

“Is there anything you want to talk about, baby?” Patrick asks softly, his lips brushing against David’s forehead.

“I don’t know… I just uh, I woke up in a weird mood and then Alexis was being loud, and when I asked her to stop she just made more fucking noise. And then my dad was giving me shit for not being at the store, and my mom was just… you know, being herself,” David sighs. 

“That sounds like a shitty morning. I’m sorry, baby.”

“It’s not you… you’re literally the only one who has listened to me all day. Everyone else just pissed me off, then acted like _I’m_ the dramatic one for being pissed.”

“You know I don’t think you’re dramatic, right baby?” 

David just gives him a look that says, _“yeah, right.”_

“Okay, you _can_ be dramatic sometimes, but not about this. I might not fully understand everything all the time, but from what you’ve explained to me I do understand that it’s not your fault.”

“Hm.”

“I love you, baby.” Patrick presses two kisses to David’s temple. 

“Mm… love you too, honey.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are a writer's best friend!!  
> Love u <3
> 
> Cris


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